Via Vecchia Winery: New Ageing Area #2 & a Chainsaw

Yesterday we all completed the organization of the new wine ageing area rather quickly. After a mere hour the pickup was loaded up and ready to go - all that delayed us somewhat was waiting for Sofia to get ready.
The area we have allocated for ageing should keep us going for a while. It's tucked away off the main production floor too. Getting it ready for next week, when the first French Oak and Flextank barrels go in, mainly involved clearing out junk. We saved off some nice pieces of wood though as they always come in handy, but cut up an old bed frame that Jerry will take down to those who live in the woods so they can use it as fuel. Jerry should be back from New Mexico soon.
Here's a movie of Marty firing up the chainsaw. Not the correct nor safe way to start it up though. And this from the Marty who forbid Michael to ever touch the "straps of death" (more on that later). Sorry, forgot you can't change the orientation.

Michael did touch the straps of death though. these are the thin metal straps used to hold the pallet loads of grape cases together. On crush day there was a lot of "be careful" about cutting those straps. Anyway, Micheal touched them but only after asking if he could, but by this time we were either more nonchalant about injuries or just didn't care anymore as he went off with barely an acknowledgment from us. And he did a nice job too - here's a picture of them coiled into a cardboard box. Still deadly all coiled up waiting to strike - now with added rusty bits.

We set off in Anton's pickup to the waste transfer station. Some of us had never been and there was much talk of an almost mythical group of people, the Salvagers or Dumpster Divers. No doubt these folk play havoc on the unsuspecting dump as we saw many signs whilst at the dump warning them off. How dare they just come in and try to recycle stuff! So it was fun throwing trash into a pit and Anton didn't suffer any punctured tires.
On the way back we stopped off in Delaware for elevenses, for it was 11. Michael, Paolo and Sofia opted for a slice of Americana at the Hamburger in, est 1932, but just like stepping back in the 1950's. Paolo resisted the biscuits and gravy. Anton and Marty went to the Acapulco for uevos rancheros. After that we visited the quality wines and gifts shop. it was very encouraging that the first words out of the shopkeeper's mouth was, "have you got any wine yet?" I'd only been there once before and we got talking so this was a nice surprise.
Back at the winery we finished organising the space and after a bottle of wine (Sangiovese/piot noir 2005) we got to configuring the hoses for next week's pumping. There was a moment when it looked like we were a connection and clamp short, but we finally figured it out.
And then some more wine, this time from our friend at Sorrenti Winery in PA (Cherry Valley Vineyards).
And a little while later, some of our BDX from 2005. Here we see Towelie organising getting a bottle of wine out of the barrel.